Toujours Pur
by The Purest Trinity
Summary: A must read for an lover of the Black family. A gothic tale of love, mystery, murder, and most of all, family. The last Black seeks out the real history of the Blacks. Warning: Child abuse, violence, torture, adult situations.
1. Prologue

**Authoress:** Stormy Llewellyn

**Chapter:** Prologue

**Authoress' Note:** I've worked very hard on this story and I would appreciate it if you reviewed after you finish reading. This is my baby right here, researched and all for those of us who are fascinated by the Black family. Future chapters will be longer than this one, so no complaints of length.

**XxXxXxX**

_June 2022_

_12 Griendwald Place_

What had once been a beautiful garden full of roses, orchids, and begonias were now a tangle of weeds and dead plants. It overflowed onto the path leading to the imposing mansion causing a very annoyed young woman to stab her wand viciously at the tangle to burn it out of her way. A stench like rotting animal came from within the tangle and Cedrella Weasley decided to go investigate remembering that time last year when they had tried to tear down the building and the whole crew of construction workers had been found dead. She often wondered if this house, like Hogwarts, had taken on a personality of it's own. Considering those who had lived here it would certainly explain the malicious death of the men who had tried to transform this land for Muggle purposes.

"_Merlin!_" She gagged when she saw the dead house elf laying in the weeds, it's eyes rolled up in the back of it's head. _The poor thing!_ She thought, kneeling down beside the broken creature, _Was he waiting all this time for his masters to come back?_ Quietly, she withdrew her wand from her robes, still relishing in the freedom of using magic outside of school and cast a fire charm on it, reducing the creature to dust. Then she took a knut from her pocket and transfigured it into an urn to put the ashes in.

"Accio ashes," she commanded, watching them swirl neatly into the urn. With a sigh, she looked up at the sprawling building with ivy covering it's walls thickly. Some windows were broken and the others were simply coated in a thick layer of dirt and grime. The whole thing reeked of age, and although in it's prime it was probably beautiful, it was now beyond the repair of even magic.

"Alohomora," she mumbled absentmindedly at the front door. Even then she had to push against it with all her might to open the door with a resounding creak. No one knew she was here, especially not her parents. She had informed them that she had a job interview to go to causing her mother to beam at her proudly and her father to mutter about how she was 'just like her bloody mother.' Of course, her mom probably wouldn't have minded her coming here. In fact, she may have encouraged it. However, her father would have been put off, although a pureblood he would never understand her need to understand her family. Her _real_ family, not her adopted one.

Cedrella still remembered the night that she had first became a Weasley, she'd been eight years old. It had been storming out, and not just a normal storm but a magical storm, She'd curled up in her bed, warding off the sounds from outside and wishing that she could curl up in her parent's bed as her friends so often did. However, her parents weren't home and even if they were she wouldn't dare admit to her mother that she was afraid of a little storm.

Suddenly there was a bang from downstairs as the front door was thrown open and there were hurried footsteps. Briefly, she considered running to her father until she heard her mother's angry voice hissing at him. When she was in one of her moods, Cedrella didn't dare approach her. Eventually, as all children do, she dosed off, the rain and thunder becoming a lullaby. When she awoke, there were a pair of emerald eyes staring back at her. Slowly, she blinked her huge grey eyes and then did the only thing she could; she screamed. For his part, the dark haired man seemed as frightened as she was and tried to comfort her by pulling her into what he probably thought was a comforting embrace. This, of course, only made her scream louder and punch him as hard as she could in the shoulder.

"Ow!" He protested, leaping away from her and rubbing his shoulder. The screaming had attracted the attention of some other people and suddenly there were two people at the door. A young man and a young woman, one with bright red hair and the other with plain, ginger hair.

"Merlin Harry, what did you do to her?"

"I didn't _do_ anything _Ronald,_" the raven haired boy said sarcastically.

"Well, honestly...you _boys_ clearly know nothing about children. How did you _think_ she would react to a strange man standing in her bedroom? Use some common sense. Ron, back some of her things to take to the headquarters with us."

"Yes, ma'am." Ron said angrily, with a salute. The one named Harry smirked knowingly as he went to follow the orders. "Honestly 'Mione, you've always been bossy and being a teacher is making you worse."

"I want my father," she demanded, raising her head up in a haughty pureblood manner.

"Aw, sweety, your father had to...go away for a little while so you're coming with us. Okay?" She whimpered so the older girl came closer to her and ran her fingers through the curly black hair. Sobbing, she buried her head in the girl's shoulder, forgetting the fact that she was afraid of these people. Besides, the lady seemed nice enough and none of the looked like psychotic serial killers.

The redhead had been watching them and was smiling with a distant look on his face. Only seconds after the little girl had noticed, the older woman did too. Ron explained, "You look good with a kid Hermione."

She turned red and looked away from him and Harry was smiling at his two friends who had recently had an old-fashioned wizard wedding although they still fought like cats and dogs. They dragged her off to a big building where a man sat and asked her a bunch of questions about her parents until Harry stepped in and declared that he'd 'had enough of this'. This whole time, Ron and Hermione had locked themselves up in an office and were talking heatedly. At the end of the day she ended going home with them.

And it wasn't that she was ungrateful for what the couple had done for her. She'd had a rather spoiled life with them and had grown close to both of them. Unlike with her real family she had nothing to fear there and felt free to run to them for comfort. Hermione didn't come into her room late at night drunk of fire whiskey and mumble all sorts of cruel words and accusations. Ron didn't live by his wife's rule and punish the child for not being perfect. However, she was the last of an ancient bloodline and she couldn't imagine going through life with so little knowledge of The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. Which is what brought her here today.

Cedrella couldn't imagine that there had once been life in these gardens. That they had once been shaped by the power of the women of the Black family. Children had once ran these paths and played on that lone swing that hung from a gnarled tree. Weddings had been held in the garden to join the witches and wizards who had been born, lived, loved, and died in this house. In a way the house was a representation of all the pureblood families after the war. Once in their glory, they were now reduced to rubble in their attempts to 'purify' the blood lines. Cedrella wasn't a fool, she knew of the pureblood mania that had run through the veins of her blood relatives. She also knew of the power that flowed there, the power that she herself could harness.

Straightening her Slytherin robes proudly (being fresh from the graduation that her mother, as headmistress, had presided over), she stepped into the old building. Then inside was worse for the wear. Moss grew from the stones, plants and insects had begun to make their way inside. Flies flew around the mounted heads of the past house elves. There were cracks in the ceiling where the sky actually showed through and the whole mansion smelled of age and mildew.

"Bellatrix?" Croaked a voice, Cedrella looked up and jumped upon seeing a horrid picture of a woman with greying hair and sallow looking skin.

"No ma'am. I believe your thinking of my mother." She said softly, wondering why anyone would want such a horrid picture in their front foyer.

"Does she have a daughter?" Said the woman airily, "I wasn't aware. Well, good for her. How is she?"

_Dead, _thought Cedrella bitterly. "As well as ever."

"Good, good. It's been so long since a Black has walked these halls..."she peered down at her, "Will you be staying long?"

"No, just visiting."

"Be careful."

Wondering what she meant, she wandered up the stairs and into a new hall. On either side of the hall were pictures of past people who had graced the family. Oddly enough, it seemed many men did not make this wall but it was always the women in their frilly dresses with perfectly done hair. One picture had been leaned against the wall where rats had gnawed at the wood.

"Er, hello." She glanced down at the sullen looking girl in the frame, "I'm Cedrella."

The sullen girl scowled at her but then giggled suddenly, "Why, I never thought one of the Black children would be named after me!"

"Really?" She asked curiously, "Why not?"

She sighed heavily and smiled, "Let's just say that the Black's have never understood my decisions. Of course, I'm not the only one."

Cedrella smiled at the portrait and walked quietly along the hall until she came to a huge tapestry that was covered in dust. Gently, she ran her hand over the tapestry and a piece of it came off in her hand causing her to gasp and pull her hand away. It was falling apart from too many cleaning spells and having seen too many generations. Gently, she blew on it and sent some of the dust scattering, revealing names with golden lines connecting them. The famous family tree her mother had always told her about. Some stories she knew such as Sirius, who had run away on principle. Andromeda, who had abandoned her old family for her new one. That was the same aunt who had named her, because it was a tradition that the oldest sibling to the parent name the newborn baby. Draco Malfoy, her cousin, who had renounced the Dark Lord publically for the Order and had later suffered death at his hands.

She wondered though...who were these other people on the tapestry? Had they attended Hogwarts where they made friends and enemies? Had they fallen in love? Had they been forced into a mold that they didn't fit? She wondered...

**XxXxXxX**

I hope you like the chapter, PLEASE REVIEW!

Next chapter coming soon.


	2. The Year of the Wolf

**Story:** Tojours Pur

**Chapter:** Two, The Year of the Wolf

**Authoress:** Stormy Llewellyn

**Authoress' Note:** I am so sorry that it took me so long to update! Homework and original stuff has taken precedent. Hint: My name on fiction press is Elvira Llewellyn if you want to swing by there and check out my original work. It's better than my fan fiction. This chapter is extra long to make up for my absence. Next comes a new story I'm working on (yes, ANOTHER one) and then Define Family and then FINALLY A Great and Terrible Power, it's been a while, but I'm back, nothing is abandoned. If you're looking for a good Marauder fic, check out All's Fair in Love and War by Bressa W. Which I personally beta'd and enjoyed very much.

Thank you to the Harry Potter Lexicon which allowed me to give a realistic history of the Black family beyond Sirius and the three Black sisters.

**Disclaimer:** You know the drill by now.

**XxXxXxX**

**Griendwald Place, 1853-**

Cedrella breathed in the heavy, magic scent of the old manor. Gently, almost lovingly, she ran a hand along the gold threads which tied together the members of the family. Something unfurled inside of her, a warm glow that seemed to spread from her solarplex.. Closing her eyes, she swayed back and forth as the magic surged through her. It felt as if her blood was growing warm in her veins and seemed to flow faster, like a blood boiling curse, only it was pleasurable. Suddenly there was a pulling sensation at the navel, rather like taking a portkey and she suddenly found that the air was cold and a wind was blowing persistently at her back.

Gasping, her eyes popped open and she gazed around to find herself in a moonlit forest. Great boughs of green leaves hung overhead and the moon hung heavy and full in the night sky. Remembering a muggle movie that she'd seen once, she reached down and pinched herself. She frowned when a twinge of pain shot through her arm.

"Okay, Drella, seven years at Hogwarts during a bloody war. Weirder things have happened." She took a few steps through the bramble and soon the trees thinned and she came to a large clearing. A huge, rambling mansion stood in the middle of the field. On either sides of the large wooden door were two large marble statues of Merlin, dressed in long, flowing robes and holding up his wand which gave off a warm shine that illuminated the serpent engraved door and the grey stones that extended into the sky. In each window, a candle burnt continuously, bouncing off the expensive items that donned each room. Cedrella covered her mouth in shock when the realization hit her, it was Griendwald place! Or at least how it had been in it's glory. She grinned and took a few steps towards the mansion, taking in everything around her.

Sudden movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention and she spun quickly in the direction of the noise. Two boys were struggling to get out a window on the lower floor of the mansion, stumbling over each other and snapping at one another when they got hit with a flailing arm or foot.

It was like looking into a genetic mirror for Cedrella. Both boys were twins and already stood tall, although they could not be anymore than eight years old. This was a characteristic that ran in the family for both males and females. The men often grew to imposing heights and the women were often stately figures, beautiful but strong like the ancient amazon women. Delicate women like her Auntie Narcissa were a rarity. Narcissa was not the idea sort of Black woman, she was weak and allowed her husband to lord over her and her son. Mother Bellatrix was an example of the type of woman who the family regarded as a "real Black". Powerful, beautiful, smart, and strong she ruled her family with an iron fist dressed in velvet and lace. From a young age she was rumored to have the power to persuade adults. She was something akin to the Marauders in the Slytherin house, the little serpents worshiped her for her ability to live by the letter of the law in public and cause such havoc behind the scenes. But back to the matter at hand, both of the boys had long black hair which was pulled back neatly with a ribbon and the steely grey eyes that the line was famous for producing.

For a moment she swore that the slightly shorter boy who must have been younger then his brother spotted her. However, her gaze moved away when his older brother laughed gleefully and lifted him in the air and spun him in a circle. Cedrella vaguely remembered her mother doing something like that to her when she was a child. Bellatrix had dropped her and broke her arm causing the young child to burst into tears and promptly be slapped for her insolence.

Quietly the older boy, who must have been around eight-years-old, whispered, "We got outside, Phineas."

The name sounded familiar, though Cedrella could not figure out where she had heard it before. The smaller boy who looked to be about six observed his older brother with a critical eye. Cedrella was stunned by how old the child looked in the eyes, as if he knew more than most adults would care to know about the world. His voice was chilly even at this tender age, "Yes, we're free until father finds out and beats us both senseless for sneaking out of the mansion. Sirius, let's go back."

Cedrella squealed when she heard her beloved uncle's name. Although she had never met the man, she had seen many pictures and her godfather, Harry, had told her many stories about him. She'd always thought him brave to walk away from his luxurious life to live in a London flat with Muggles.

The boy named Sirius' boyishly handsome face twisted into an ugly scowl. He leaned so his face was close to his younger brother's and his hot breath that smelt faintly of spiced pumpkin juice tickled his nose. However, Phineas did not move and simply stared back imploringly with those cold eyes. "Phinny."

"Don't call me that!" Protested the young one, at once becoming riled and balling his tiny hands into fists.

Sirius rolled his eyes, "Phineas Lycoris Nigellus. It's not normal for them to keep us locked up like that! Our friends' parents don't keep them confined to the house, they're allowed to at least venture outside."

Phineas gave him a piercing look and said cooly, "Different rules apply to our family."

"Merlin, you sound _just _like dad!" Complained his brother, bodily dragging him towards the woods and whispering, glancing fearfully back at the house, "I just want to get out for a little while, be a little independent. It's bad enough that we're going to be stuck here until we marry some pureblood broads and even then our grandchildren will be stuck here."

"Not me," Phineas insisted, dragging his feet and forcing his brother to come to a stop, "I'm going to go to Hogwarts when I turn eleven."

Sirius scoffed, already a deep and rough sound, "You're going to be home-schooled just like Isia."

"That's not true," shouted the boy, looking near tears in his childish fit of rage. Quickly, he looked at the looming building and lowered his voice, lower lip trembling, "Mum promised."

The boy let out a sharp and sarcastic laugh, "Mum promised? You are such a child. Mum can't do anything, Mum is in a stupor. Dad controls everything she does."

Crying out, a shrill and angry sound, Phineas lost all composure and launched himself at his older brother. Sirius caught him by the scruff of the neck and sent him face down into the grass and flopping down on top of him, attempting to pin him down. Cedrella watched this all with amusement and felt a great connection to these boys. Her well tuned instincts from the war told her that someone was near and she quickly turned to see a wolf stalking across the field to where the boys obliviously wrestled. Cedrella gasped and rushed forward quickly hissing "Siltanco!" which sent out a long stream of silver light which should have wrapped itself around the throat of the wolf, giving her full control of the beast. However, her light shot right through the creature. Cedrella gave a painstaking sigh, _Of course, I can't effect the past. _

So it was in horror and morbid fascination that she watched the wolf stalk towards the boys, growling and with spittle flying from it's strong jaws. Phineas, who was currently pinned underneath the larger boy, struggled to sit upright. Sirius was having none of that though and shoved his little brother's face into the dirt.

"Sirius, you idiot! Stop! There's something here!" With one last shove, the older boy rolled off his brother and looked around the field. Phineas spotted the wolf first and got to his feet, his childish eyes filled with fear as he tried to back away without drawing the attention of the beast.

However, the werewolf wasn't focused on Phineas but on his brother. Cedrella clutched the powerful necklace that she had inherited from her mother when Bellatrix had bent captured and sentenced to the Kiss. She whispered softly to the young one, "Run."

As if he could hear her, Sirius turned on his tail and began to run. Phineas allowed his brother to get a head start and then began to throw rocks at the beast which in his little kid mind, probably seemed like a good idea. Not surprisingly, this angered the wolf and it began to run after the young boy who quickly raced towards the Black mansion. The heavy wooden door squeaked open under his six-year-old efforts and he quickly slammed the door in the face of the wolf. It snarled in rage and threw itself into the door repeatedly, leaving deep gouges in the door with it's claws and teeth. There was a rustling sound as the other boy entered the forest and the wolf's head snapped in that direction and he took off at a run. Cedrella began to jog after them and realized to her surprise that she could easily keep up with the animal. Sirius had ran with all his might until eventually he was foiled by a tree that had grown so large that it's roots had come up from the ground. Pouncing, the creature landed on the boy and she had to look away as his voice rose in shrill cries of terror.

Somehow Cedrella felt bad about leaving the boy even though there was nothing she could do to keep the wolf from biting or even killing him. However, she forced herself to return to the house and see what was happening with the other boy. Out of human habit, she reached for the doorknob and was surprised when her hand went right through it. Cautiously, she stuck her arm through the door and found that she could easily pass through the thick wood. Taking a step forward, she entered Griendwald Place.

It was like stepping into another dimension. From the wilderness to the lapse of luxury. It was a handsome house, decorated in deep colors, with a lot of greet and many expensive looking portraits adorning the walls. Cedrella stepped in just in time to see the back of Phineas' head as he ran through a door that she remembered led from the foyer to the dining room. It had been beautiful back then. Spacious with a candelabra in each corner of the room. A beautiful chandelier hung overhead, the candle light playing gently off the decoration.

A man was sitting at the head of the table, draped in dress robes. Next to him sat a woman who had once been lovely in her youth. However, her face had grown gaunt and her once porcelain skin was a sallow shade of yellow. Her hair had somehow managed to retain it's thickness and had not turned grey but seemed to have faded into a less intense shade of black. Her face was extremely placid and her eyes seemed glazed over as she stared fixedly across the room. Cedrella instantly noticed the signs of the imperious curse and felt rage rise inside her that this man was controlling his wife in such a way.

The man looked annoyed and snapped, "Eat." Which the woman did; slowly but steadily.

Next to her father and across from her mother was a beautiful young woman with her black hair pulled back into a bun and clothed in a blood-red robe. She had the same grey eyes that her family was famous for, but hers glowed with warmth and she had a generous mouth that always seemed to be turned up in a slight smile. Next to her was a small child with black curls, pouting lips, and watery blue eyes. Even she was dressed in expensive robes of an icy blue shade.

"Phineas," the man boomed, turning icy eyes to his son, "Where have you and your brother been?"

"Nowhere. I-I..."He gulped, looking terrified. "There's a wolf, he's got Sirius!"

The man stood up quickly, as did the young woman beside him. Thumb in her mouth, the little girl crawled into her mother's lap who continued to eat. Phineas' father grabbed his chin and growled, "You and me will discuss this later."

Isis, in the meantime, was pulling on a black cloak and drawing her wand from her sleeve. The man turned angrily to her, "Damn it! Stay here, Isis!"

Fiercely the girl looked back at him, eyes holding no sign that she felt intimidated. "Father, you can't take on a werewolf by yourself. You said yourself that I'm one of the best defense students you've had in years."

"Fine." He said coldly, "Be careful!"

They seemed to be gone forever, Cedrella wished desperately she could do something to comfort the little boy, who was pacing and trembling. Or even the little girl who was sitting on the lap of the woman who was continuously touching her fork to her empty plate and then placing it in her mouth. Finally, the front door opened and the man and young woman burst through, both covered in blood and the man carrying a small child covered in cuts and scratches.

"Isis, attend to him," he snapped, he quickly made his way over to the little boy and grabbed him by the arm. "Let's see...five I think, for disobedience."

"But Daddy!" Protested the child desperately, "Sirius made me do it."

"And three more for talking back."

Whimpering, the child turned around and removed his robes so that only his underwear remained. His father conjured a belt and snapped, "Are you in agreement that you need to be punished?"

"Y-yes, sir."

"Good, you will count."

Thwack! "O-one." Thwack! "T-t-two!" It continued until Cedrella had to close her eyes to block out the image. However, after they reached eight, the man continued to beat him.

Thwack! "YOU WILL," Thwack! "NEVER AGAIN," Thwack! "DISOBEY ME!" Thwack! "DO," Thwack! "I" Thwack! "MAKE MYSELF," Thwack! "QUITE CLEAR?"

"I'm sorry!" Cried the child, now bleeding from several welts on his back.

"You're sorry?" He hit him particularly hard, as if to emphasize his question, "I'm sorry. Sorry that the wolf bit the wrong son, that was my heir, boy." HE raised the belt again but was stopped by a soft protest.

"No more." The mother had gotten unsteadily to her feet. Her voice was coarse and stilted from disuse. Cedrella was amazed, never before had she seen someone short of Harry Potter fight the curse. However, the woman got to her feet and stepped over to her child and lifted him with surprising strength into her arms. He sobbed and buried his face in her shoulder. With a final glare at her husband, she walked towards the steps that led to the bedrooms.

The older man watched her retreating figure in shock and said gently, "Isis, leave."

"But I'm still working on his," she protested, pushing back the tendrils of hair that had fallen into her face.

"I'll take it from here." Isis looked like she would argue but then simply shrugged and moved to the steps that led upstairs.

Almost tenderly, the polar opposite of the fearsome creature she had seen just moments ago, he kneeled beside the child. He pushed a strand of black hair out of the boy's face.

"Dad?"

"Shh, everything will be okay. Drink this, it will help you sleep." He pulled a vile containing a foul looking potion from his robes and helped the boy choke it down. Slowly, Sirius' eyes lulled and his head dropped back. The man checked the pulse of the boy and seemed satisfied by what he found. Gently, he placed a kiss on the boy's forehead and whispered, "Goodbye, son."

Tears in her eyes, Cedrella once again felt that pulling sensation at her navel.


End file.
